Lyon County times. [volume] (Silver City, Nev.) 1874-1907, 1887-10-08
JESS.
by H.RIDER HAGGAI1D.
Futhorot Rms SolonoEsndpes sshe.Ete,

think that will let one old mans life stand
between me and my desire? Never. If you
will not marry me, Silas Croft shall be put
upon his trial for attempted murder and
for treason within an hour from this. With
in an hour and a half he shall be condemned
to die, and tomorrow at dawn he shall die, by
warrant under my hand. am commandant
here, with power Of life and death, and l tell
you that he shall certainly die--and his blood
will be on your Lead" ,.t..s,
Bessie grasped at the tree for support
HYou dare not" she said; syou dare not
murder an innocent old man,
"Dare notl" he answered; "you must UNDER
stand ME very i'll, Bessie Croft, when you talk
of what dare not do for you. There is moth
ing" he added, with thrill of his rich voice,
"that l dare not do to gain you. Listen;
promise to marry me tomorrow morning l
will get a clergyman here from Walker
stroom, and your uncle shall go free as air,
though he is traitor to the land, and though
he has tried to shoot burgher after the
declaration of peace. Refuse, and he dies
Choose now"
Il have chosen" she answered with passion.
"Frank Muller, perjured traitor-yes, mur-
derer that you are, l will not marry you!"
very good, very GOOD Bessie; as you will
But now one more thing You shall not say
that have not warned you. If you persist
in this your uncle shall die, hut you shall not
escape me. You viii not marry me? Well,
even in this country, where | can do most
things, | cannot force you to do that. But I
can force you to be my wife in all but the
name without marriage; and this, when your
uncle is stiff in his bloody grave, will do
You shall have one more chance after the
trial, and one only. If you refuse he shall
die. and then, after his death, l shall take you
away by force and in a weeks time you will
be glad enough to marry me to cover up your
shame, my pretty!'
"You are devil, Frank Muller, a wicked
devil; but l will not be frightened into dis
honor by you. l had rather kill myself l
trust to God to help me. will have nothing
to do with you;" and she put her hands be-
fore her face and burst into tears.
"You look lovely when you weep" he said,
with laugh; tomorrow shall be able to
kiss away your tears. AS you will Here,
you" he shouted to some men, who could be
seen watching the progress of the dying fire,
"come here"
Some of the men obeyed, and he proceeded
to give instructions in the same terms that he
had given to the other two men who were
watching old Silas, ordering Bessie to be in
stantly incarcerated in the corresponding lit
tie room on the other side Of the wagon house,
and kept strictly from all communication
with the outside world, adding, however,
these words:
"Bid the burghers assemble in the wagon
house for the trial Of the Englishman Silas
Croft, for treason against the state and at
tempted murder of one of the burghers OF
the state in the execution of the commands of
the triumvirate"
The two men advanced and seized Bessie by
both arms. Then, faint and overpowered
she was led through the little plantation, over
gap in the garden wall, down past the
scorched syringa trees that lined the road
way that ran along the hillside at the back of
the still burning house, till they reached the
wagon house with the two little rooms which
served respectively as a store and harness
ROOM She was then thrust into the store
room, which was half full of loose potatoes
and mealies in sacks, and the door locked
upon her.
There was no window to this ROOM and the
only light in it was such as found its way
through the chinks of the door and an air
hole in the masonry of the back wall She
sank on q half emptied sack of mealles and
tried to reflect Her first idea was of escape,
but she soon realized that that was practi-
cal impossibility The stout, yellow wood
door was locked upon her, and sentry stood
before it. She rose and looked through the
air hole in the rear wall, but there another
sentry was posted. Then she turned her at
tention to the side wall that divided the room
from the wagon house. 1t was built of four
teen inch green brickwork, and had cracked
from the shrinkage of the bricks, 80 that she
could hear anything that went on in the
wagon house, and even see anybody who
might be moving about in it. But it was far
too strong for her to hope to be able to break
through, and even if she did, it would be use
less, for there were armed men there also
Besides how could she run away and leave her